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U.S. Erred in Deadly Attack

New Report on Pakistan Airstrike That Killed 24 Acknowledges U.S. Culpability

WSJ's Julian Barnes has an exclusive report of the U.S. ready to take responsibility for the airstrike in late November that killed 24 Pakistani troops. AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad

By

Julian E. Barnes And

Adam Entous

December 22, 2011

WASHINGTON—The U.S. is poised to concede for the first time that it bears significant responsibility for last month's American airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani troops, U.S. officials said, an admission that is expected to embarrass the American military but points to a way out of the deepening mistrust between the two countries.

A military investigation has found that U.S. and Afghan commandos incorrectly concluded there were no Pakistani forces in the Afghan border area where the coalition was conducting an operation...